Tunnel lining unit



, 1931.. E. c. AMSDEN TUNNEL LINING UNIT May 12 Filed March 19, 1930 Patented May 12. 19311 UNITED STATES RATENTQOFFICE' .EUGENE C. AMSDEN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMSDEN & IBARNABD, INCL, OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS TUNNEL LINING UNIT In building certain kinds of tunnels, especially those boredby the shield method, it is customary to provide thetunnel with a continuous lining usually made of cast iron members rigidly secured together. While such linings usually have been made of cast iron, it has also been proposed to make them of structural steel, but the latter material has been used only to a very limited extent for this purpose. Itis necessary to build up these .linings from units pr elements, and because of the large size of tunnels and the necessity for lining them continuously the expense of the lining. represents a very important item in the total cost of the tunnel. i

The present invention is especially concerned with these tunnel lining units or elements. It aims to improve the construction of such units with a view to reducing the expense of manufacturing them, making a more economical use of the metal, and devis ing a construction which will lend itself more readily to modifications necessited by changes iirgracle, size or direction of the tunnel.

The nature of the inventionwill be readily understood from the following description. when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. p I

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a structural steel tunnel lining unit constructed in accordance with this invention, a part of the structure being shown broken away;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the unit shown in Fig. 1, and also illustrates this unit placed in cooperative relationship to an abutting unit of similar form;

Fig. 3 is a sectional ,view of part of a tunnel, at an intermediate stage in the process of erection, lined with units such as those shown in Figs. land 2; and Y Figs. {1 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views illustrating modifications.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the unit there shown comprises two steel side supports 2-2 each of angular cross-sectional form. Since tumiels usually are made of circular section, 'the side supports 2-2 are Application filed March 19, 1930. Serial No. 437,035.

curved longitudinally on a radius depending upon the dimensions of the tunnel. In

a typical construction the tunnel might be thirty feet in diameter so that the lining units would be curved on a fifteen foot radius. A typical unit might, for example, be nine feet long, thirty inches wide and eight inches thick, the dimensions of the units obviously depending upon the design and dimensions of the individual tunnel in which they are to be used. In the particular unit shown in Figs.

1 and 2 the side supports 22 are made'of channel form, each support having a web extending radially of the unit and provided with a flange a at its outer edge and another. flange 6 at its inner edge. It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that the flange b at the inner edge of each supportand the portion of the web adjacent to it are made considerably thicker than the parts of the web more remote from the flange.

Connecting the two side supports 22 ar :1 series of struts 3 which may conveniently consist of sections of T-rail. plate t rests on these struts 3 and is welded continuously along its opposite edges to the edges of the outer flanges aa. End plates- 5 and 6 are welded to the opposite ends of the supports 22 and back plate 4 and complete the unit.

According to the preferred process of manufacturing this unit the side supports 01' channels 22 are hot rolled to the cross-sec tional form shown and later are cut to the proper lengths and bent to the desired curvature. The struts 3-3 are cut accurately to A' steel back Y length and the back plate 4 is laid on them and welded to them. These parts next are assembled with the side channels 2-2 and the opposite ends of each strut 3 are welded to the side channels. A relatively small area only at the ends of each strut need be welded to the side members, the welding being confined, for example, to the area indicated by the heavy dotted line 0, Fig. 1. This operation is facilitated by placing the unit in the reverse position from that in which it is shown, with the back plate 4 resting on the flanges aa. At the completion of this welding operation the unit isturned over into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the edges of the of slightly difl'erent form. For example,

1n flanges H are welded to the opposite mar- Fig. 4 the side support 2 has the same crossgins of the back plate 4. Preferably this opsectional form as those shown in Figs. 1 andv eration is performed by an automatic welding; 2 except that the flangev a has been omitted. machine which travels along the unit making The back plate 4 rests directly on the outer the continuous welded seams d-d, Figs. 1 edge of the side support 2' and is welded to it and 2. Finally the plates 5 and 6 are welded along the seam e. In other respects thetwo continuously to the opposite ends'of the back constructions are identical.

plate andside supports. The bolt or rivet A further modification of the invention is holes in the side channels and end plates may illustrated in Fi 5 in which'the side support be punched at any convenient point in the 2 is made of c annel section including an process. Usually one or more holes 7 are exceptionally heavy rounded inner flange b",

punched through the back plate and threaded this construction being like that shown in' to permit grout to be forced through the Fig. 2 in other respects.

In each form of side support a groove 9 is lining after it is in place, each of these holesv rolled in its outer surface adjacent to the insubsequently being closed by a plug 8.

When installed in a tunnel these units are ner edge thereof to'receive a packing or calk-- bolted together end to end as shown in Fig. ing 10, Fig. 2, this calking usually being made 3 and they are also bolted in side by side but of lead. In some constructions this groove is staggered relationship to other units. 'Benot required. cause of this arrangement and the nature of While I have herein the stresses to which these unitsare subjected, preferred embodiments of my invention, it

the peculiar cross-sectional shape of the side will be understood that the invention may be supports 2 2 is of special advantage in makembodied in other forms without departing ing economical use of the metal in these parts. from. the spirit or scope thereof. Steel has That is, the greater thickness of theflanges been mentioned particularly as the material bb and the parts of the web immediately of which the unit is made, but alloys are adjacent to them produces a much stronger available which have the requisite strength construction than could be obtained by the and have greater ability to resist corrosion same weight of 'metal distributed more unithan steel. It is contemplated, therefore, that f formly. 'In bolting the'units together end to the unit maybe made from such alloys or the flanges b of abutting units.

end splice plates, one of which is shown at from any other suitable metal.

Having thus'described my invention, what 12 in Fig. 1 preferably are used, each plate being bolted to the adjacent end portions of I desire to claim as new is:

l; A tunnel linin unit comprising two The method of manufacture above deside supports each 0 angular cross-sectional shown and described scribed is economical, it avoids the necessity form and each having a web extending from for highlyexpensive and unusual equipment, front to back of the unit and a flange bent inand it can readily be accommodated to the wardly from said web at the inner edge therevariation in shapes and dimensions of these. of, said flange and the 'part of the web adjation of t e tunnel. It will be observed that the web more remote from said flange, and a no great accuracy in the width of the back back plate connecting said supports and late is required. The fact that the manuwelded to them.

acture of these units avoids any heavy ex- 2. A tunnel lining unit comprising two than the rolls required to roll the peculiar form and curved longitudinally, said supcross-sectional form ofthe side supports is ports having webs extending radially of the a very important practical advantage. This unit and'fianges bent inwardly from said web fact makes it possi 1e to adapt this construcat the inner edges thereof and extending totion readily to difl'erentsizes'and shapes of Ward each other, said flanges and the portunnels and to the changes in grades or curtions of the web adjacent to them being thickvature. One of the chief objections to the er than the partsof the webs more remote use of pressed steel tunnel lining units has from said flanges, and a back plate connectbeen the eat expense involved in the manuing supports and welded to them. facture o the necessary shapes or forms. Ex- 3. 'A tunnel lining unit having a side suptremely large presses and very expensive dies have beenrequired for this purpose. A very ront to back of theunit and witha flange important advantage of the construction probent inwardly from said web at the inner edge vided by this invention, therefore, is the fact thereof, said'flange and the portion of said tions of said web morev remote from said While I prefer the construction above deflange. v j l scribed,,some of the advantages of this inven- 4. A tunnel lining unit including a side tion can be obtained by using sidesupports support of channel section curved longitudiport' provided with a web extending from,

units re uired by changes in grade or direccent thereto being thicker than the parts of p pense for special tools or equipment other side supports each of angular cross-sectional that the 'expense'for special equipment is reweb adjacent thereto being thicker than porduced to a very small item.

. nally and having a webextending radially of the unit, a flange integral with said we and extending atapproximatelyr 'ght an gles thereto at the'inner. edge oft web said flange and the portion of the web immediately adjacent thereto being substantially thicker than the part of the web more remote from I 7 said flange. v

Y 5. A' tunnel linin unit comprising two 10 side supports each 0 angular cross -sectional 4 form, a series'of struts connecting said s'upports and rigidly secured to them, and a back plate restingon. said struts and-having its opposite edges welded. to said supports, and

end plates welded to said supports and the j ends of said back plate at the opposite ends, of said unit.

6. A tunnel lining unit comprising two side supports of angular section, said sup orts-be-. ing curved longitudinally and each aving a Web extending radially of the unit, flanges integrallwith said webs and extending toward each other from the inner edges ofsaid respec-v tive webs,saidflangesandtheportionsoftheir respective webs immediately adjacent to them being thicker than the parts of the webs more remote from said flanges, a-series of struts connecting said supports and welded to them, I and a back plate secured tosaid strutsand having its opposite margins welded to said -supports. v

7; A tunnel lining. unit comprisin two side supports of angularxsection, sai supports being curved longitudinally and each having a web extending radially of the unit, flanges integral-with said webs and extending towzfid each other from the inner edges of said respective webs, said flanges and the Y portions of their respective webs immediately 40 adjacent to them being thicker than the parts of the webs more remote fromsaid flanges, a series of struts connectin said supports and welded to them, a back p ate secured to said struts and having its opposite margins weld-'- 5 ed to said supports, and end lates welded to said supports and the ends 0 said back plate at the opposite ends "of saidunit.

8. A tunnel lining unit including a side support a of an lar. cross-sectional form ,curve'd longitudinally and havinga web extending radially of the .unit, a flange inte-, gral with said web-and extendin from the inner edge thereof, said flange %)ei ng sub stantially thicker than the-part of saidigebm remote from said flange, and a calking groove in the outer surface of said web and extend: ing along the margin of the web adjacent to V the inner edgethereof.

so V :EUGENn' CPAMSDEN; 

